Order of Importance

[nightowl1]

Well I asked a simple question a while back about choosing an arrow setup and got 12 pages of great information. So it got me thinking about priorities. How do you guys rate the priorities of a leathal arrow?

I have a general Idea and tell me if you agree and if not why...would you add more?

1. Perfectly tuned arrow
2. Perfectly sharp broadhead
3. Adequate bow weight
4. FOC
5. Total Weight
...yah help me with a checklist...

[JimB]

0.Structural integrity
Perfectly tuned broadhead
EFOC
Total weight
Adequate bow weight

[Blackhawk]

"How do you guys rate the priorities of a leathal arrow?"

First in line is SHOT PLACEMENT.

[Bjorn]

Blackhawk has it........shot placement. I will add: Get animal to walk in front of bow!

[just_a_hunter]

My #1 is proper mind set.

#2 is, arrow does the killing. Everything in that arrow has to be perfect, and that starts with flight and how sharp.

#3 is delivery system. Pretty is cool but performance is absolute.

Good luck,

Todd

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by nightowl1:
...

1. Perfectly tuned arrow
2. Perfectly sharp broadhead
3. Adequate bow weight
4. FOC
5. Total Weight

yer list has too many contingencies.  

for a trad bowhunter, you wanna get yer act together in this order ...

- learn how to shoot consistently and accurately no matter the weather, location or stance.

- know yer effective kill range/zone and stay within its parameters.

- broadheads MUST be razor shaving sharp.

there really ain't no more 'cept yer hunting skills and luck.

[Guru]

Guys have been killing animals for centuries with horribly tuned,mis-matched equipment because they put it where it needs to be!

So yeah all that stuff is of the utmost importance, and that's what most of us strive for...getting everything right.

But before single bevel,efoc,etc.....guys where still killing stuff with what some of us would consider horrible gear.....four different spine arrows arrows in his quiver, all with different weight bh's, and dull as a butter knife....but some still killed animals because they put an arrow where it needed to go.....

Lucky?   probably...but it still killed the critter.....

So to me Nightowl...your list is ok...but it really all comes down to shot placement!

Everything on your list and others just makes it more efficient!

[Jack Denbow]

Curt is right shot placement is most important. The guy that won the first Eagle Eye Shootout had a quiver of the most miss matched arrows I have ever seen. Different lengths, spines, materials, and ratty looking fletch's, but he could put them where they needed to be. That is what counts.
Jack

[Don Stokes]

Guru, you're right, of course, but I respectfully submit that more animals have been wounded by such mismatched equipment than killed cleanly. Shot placement is #1, but you have to be somewhere close to tuned to get shot placement. You have to be tuned to hit where you aim, or you just trust to luck. Trusting to luck is the best way to miss or wound.

Nightowl, you can't really separate the items on your list from each other or ignore any of them- they're mutually dependent. Skimp on any of them and your performance on game (or targets) will suffer. There are hundreds of possible combinations of the items on the list that will work, but only in concert with each other.

[Guru]

I guess my point was that ya gotta learn how to get the arrow where it needs to be before you get obsessed with stuff that in the long run really doesn't matter all that much....

Will it help...of course, but will it make a difference if you can't hit where you need to?

 I think more guys need to practice how to get an arrow into the vitals....than worry so much about how much it weighs, how it balances,2-3-or 4 blades,footing, 4 or 5" fletch and how many feathers, etc.......

Is it fun tinkering though....you bet!

[James Wrenn]

No doubt hitting the soft spot is always first followed by arrow flight.Sharp is good as well but works best on a straight flying arrow that hits a soft spot.  

[joe skipp]

I think we all agree the ARROW is the important part of our hunting gear. Not the bow, not your camouflage. Next is a razor sharp broadhead.

However, with the best arrow and most deadliest head, unless you can put that combination into the vitals of your intended target...why bother spending so much time tuning or spending the money for the "better" shafts.

Back in 70's, my backquiver was filled with Forgewoods and Cedars. All different weights because no one matched the wts back then, just spine and even that at times wasn't close. I still killed my 2 deer a year through dedicated practice sessions and learning how each arrow flew.

I'm a firm believer in finding one arrow that will fly from your bow accurately and stay with it. Experimenting is fine but just read all the threads on how much time is put into getting a single arrow tuned for a bow. Find the right arrow and learn to put it where you want every time.

[Jason Jelinek]

If everyone wants to ignore his specific question, I'll add this.  Hitting where you want won't matter at all if you can't get yourself within range of the animal you're trying to hunt.  So by everyone's logic, hunting skills are by far the most critical!!!!!!!

Sorry, just ranting.  I'll now answer your question...

1. Perfectly tuned arrow
2. Arrow integrity (doesn't break while doing the cutting).
3. Perfectly sharp broadhead
4. FOC | Total Weight | Adequate bow weight | mechanical advantage of broadhead | profile of broadhead | single bevel/double bevel | shaft diameter.
5. Fletching size/configuration.

Characteristics in item 4 are intertwined depending on the animal you're hunting.

[James Wrenn]

Well if we don't count hitting the soft spots the original posters order is just fine with me.It covers the 3 first ones that matter.  

[bm22]

I dont even consider a tuned arrow or sharp broadhead on the list. They are a given, no mater what you shoot your arrow should be perfectly tuned and your broadhead should be honed sharp.

After that
1 structural integrity, if they arrow or broadhead shatters on impact you will get little penetration. This is also perhaps the easyest to do, most carbon arrows and most broadheads will be fine on most hits to deer sized animals. This goes down the list if you hit everything perfectly.
2 broadhead design. U wont get very good penetration with a blunt. This one is also easy to accomplish as most broadheads on the market will kill a deer if hit in the right spot.
3 arrow weight.  I want something over 450-500 grain
4 foc as high as i can get it and stay a resonable arrow weight for the lb of bow i am shooting.

What most of this comes down to is how you veiw things. There is HUGE difference in what can kill a deer with a good shot as what is necessary to kill something when the **** hits the fan.
I had really bad luck with penetration on good hits with a 58@29 in recurve 450 gr @ 195fps and a simmons shark broadheads. I have video of the hits and can vouch for good shots. Now i shot 58@29 610gr@180fps 24%foc with grizzly heads
Jmo

[hill boy]

yea.

[nightowl1]

THanks for getting it back on topic guys...

I ask this question from the standpoint of making some new arrows not making a new hunter. When you make new arrows for your hunting what is your order of importance. Maybe that will make things more clear.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by nightowl1:
... When you make new arrows for your hunting what is your order of importance....

i'm not sure what you have in mind, or why.  all aspects of an arrow build are important, imo.

1. i'll create an arrow with total weight goal in mind, as it applies to the holding weight of bow that'll launch it, and the game hunted.  

2. the shaft material and spine of my choosing.

3. consider high foc and how to achieve it.

4. always a 75x105 4-fletch with lo pro banana feather shape,

5. pretty much always a wensel woodsman broadhead.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by nightowl1:
Well I asked a simple question a while back about choosing an arrow setup and got 12 pages of great information. So it got me thinking about priorities. How do you guys rate the priorities of a leathal arrow?

I have a general Idea and tell me if you agree and if not why...would you add more?

1. Perfectly tuned arrow
2. Perfectly sharp broadhead
3. Adequate bow weight
4. FOC
5. Total Weight
...yah help me with a checklist...

I agree with #1 and #2.

#3 has to do with the bow, and not the arrow.

I've never built an arrow with any respect to #4, and I only pay attention to #5 as it pertains to maintaining a secific bow speed with which I'm familiar.

I would add a well-built broadhead to the list...probably tied with #2 for sharpness.

As far as hunting arrows are concerned, I'd also add "highly visible fletching" to the list. I like to make sure I see where I hit.

[nightowl1]

The why is because I'm making up some new arrows for my bow and wondering how people look at their setup when deciding what to do.

I can make my arrows tune with 125gr tip and leaving them long or 200 and cutting them short. But there is alot that changes in between those steps and it just made me curious on how people decide what they like.

I am agreeing with Mr. Dave2old on this, there is not problem with trying to design a better made arrow and perfect my setup. If you don't agree with my intrigue thats fine there are alot of other posts to comment on.

Thanks to all for the help